Chapter 791: Poor Beggar

"Teach me?"

The woman's eyes lit up. The Floating Fragrance Dance Technique was her most powerful move, one she had been unable to master. If it could be corrected, allowing her to master it, her strength would undoubtedly increase significantly!

"Yes, this dance technique relies on your state of mind," Zhang Xuan mused, then continued. "Although you don't have the feeling of eternal companionship found in passionate love, you possess the cold solitude of one who embraces loneliness for the sake of cultivation. As long as you manifest this state of mind, its power will be equally astonishing!"

"I hope... you will enlighten me!"

The woman bowed and clasped her fists. Their recent conversation had made it clear that his understanding of the Startling Swan Master was far superior to hers. The skilled are teachers. Even though she was a Saint realm expert, she would sincerely seek guidance from anyone who could resolve her confusion, without feeling insulted.

"Good!" Zhang Xuan nodded inwardly, observing her attitude. She was a genuine master, humble and eager to learn. He could completely win her admiration with his knowledge. If she had been a reckless and impulsive person, he would have been at a loss. After a moment of thought, considering her state of mind, he carefully refined the technique before explaining the modified Floating Fragrance Dance Technique.

After listening, the woman analyzed his words. The more she considered them, the more astonished she became, realizing that the modifications were perfectly tailored to her. She looked at him again, filled with admiration.

"I was rash..."

The woman quickly dispelled the qi cage around Zhang Xuan and clasped her fists in apology. Before, she had suspected him of being a threat to the Startling Swan Academy, perhaps wanting to steal something from the library. Now, that thought had vanished completely. The books in this library were useful to the academy's students and teachers, but they no longer had any effect on her. If they had little effect on her, and this man's understanding of the Startling Swan Master was even deeper than hers, how could he possibly covet them? It seemed the invisible fellow had no connection to him at all; she had simply been overly sensitive.

"May I ask... what is this Master's name?"

Having realized this, the woman's demeanor softened considerably as she asked, a hint of curiosity in her voice.

"You're too kind, Senior. I am Zhang Xuan, merely a new student who has just joined the academy!" Zhang Xuan quickly replied.

"Zhang Xuan? You are Zhang Xuan?"

The woman froze for a moment, then her eyes widened.

"You know my name?" Zhang Xuan looked at her.

"Of course, I do. Dean Mi personally pursued you to accept you as his student, and Dean Zhao willingly accepted you on behalf of his master... These two events are circulating among all the teachers. If I didn't know, I'd truly be out of touch with the world..." The woman gave a wry smile. This new student had set so many records since his arrival. While not widely known among ordinary students, the teachers were practically in an uproar. It could be said that in all the years since the Master Teacher Academy was founded, there had never been a case where two deans were willing to befriend someone, only to be calmly refused.

"I thought Master Zhang only had profound accomplishments in beast taming and artifact forging, but I never expected such a deep understanding of Startling Swan techniques as well..." the woman remarked with emotion, looking at him with immense admiration. She had inquired about Zhang Xuan's background and heard that he had a teacher who could guide Hall Master Mo. How could a person of such caliber do anything detrimental to the Startling Swan Academy? She had truly misjudged him.

"You are too kind, Senior. The Startling Swan profession is vast and profound; I've only just scratched the surface!" Zhang Xuan quickly replied. Every profession that has been passed down possesses a unique charm. Although he understood a good deal about the Startling Swan Master, it was still a drop in the ocean compared to the entire profession. Therefore, his statement was not overly humble.

"To possess such knowledge at such a young age yet remain humble—no wonder you've achieved so much!" The woman nodded. "My name is Wei Ranxue, and I am an elder of the academy. You far surpass me in the Startling Swan profession, so I wouldn't dare be called 'Senior.' You can just call me 'Little Wei.' In the future, I fear I'll have many more difficulties that I'll need to consult you about!" He had guided her, which amounted to a half-teacher relationship. Even with her greater age and higher cultivation, she dared not call herself 'Senior.'

"Very well!"

Seeing her sincerity, Zhang Xuan could only nod. Such a form of address was not unusual. It was similar to Luo Qiqi, who was roughly the same age as him, perhaps even slightly older, yet still called him 'teacher.' This was a courtesy among master teachers, reflecting the principle of "the skilled are teachers," and also a demonstration of master teachers' thirst for and recognition of knowledge.

"Master Zhang, you mentioned earlier that you came here to be assessed as a Startling Swan Master. Could it be... you don't have a badge yet?" Remembering something, Wei Ranxue looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"I've always studied with my teacher and have never been assessed for a rank..." Zhang Xuan replied.

"You haven't been assessed for a rank? That's simple. The Startling Swan Master is not like those 'upper nine stream' professions that require various rigorous assessments before a badge can be issued. Your understanding of Startling Swan techniques is even deeper than mine; I've personally verified it, so there's no faking it... How about this: I'll apply for a Six-Star Startling Swan Master badge for you right now and have it sent to you!" Wei Ranxue smiled. 'Upper nine stream' professions had strict assessments, requiring various tests and even rigorous cultivation requirements. Although the Startling Swan Master was one of the ten major professions in the Master Teacher Academy, it belonged to the 'lower nine stream' and did not have such stringent requirements. Since her own Six-Star pinnacle Startling Swan Master assessment had passed, she could easily help him apply. It wouldn't take much effort.

"Then I thank you very much..."

Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up, unexpected that she would offer to apply for him. He quickly clasped his fists. Once the application was successful, he would have two Six-Star auxiliary professions, leaving him only four more to achieve before assessing as a Six-Star Master Teacher.

"You're welcome!"

Wei Ranxue nodded and smiled, inviting him, "If Master Zhang doesn't mind, perhaps we could have a chat at the Startling Swan Hall? It would also be an opportunity for me to learn from you!"

"In my current state... I'd rather not impose. I've just had an epiphany and then experienced cultivation deviation, so it's not convenient to trouble you..." Zhang Xuan looked down at the dirt covering his body and said. His physical body had been repeatedly slamming against the wall, and his soul had been attacked by his opponent, leaving him with significant injuries from the inside out. The immediate priority was to return and recuperate.

"I was rash..."

Only then did Wei Ranxue remember that he had just undergone cultivation deviation, and she felt a little embarrassed.

"Farewell!"

Breathing a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan paid no mind to anything else and turned to leave. There were already few male students in the Startling Swan Academy, and it was past noon. Walking through it, he was bound to attract considerable attention, but he couldn't afford to worry about that now. He hurried all the way back to the elite residential area.

"Teacher, are you injured?"

As soon as he entered his room, Luo Qiqi came forward, startled to see his disheveled appearance.

"I'm fine. I'll rest for a bit first!" Without bothering to explain, Zhang Xuan pushed open his door and entered. The physical injuries were minor; the Heaven's Path True Qi would quickly heal them. The main concern was his soul. Several heavy blows from a Saint realm expert had left him feeling torn apart. If his soul hadn't been powerful, he might have been unable to maintain it and collapsed on the spot.

His Soul Oracle appeared in the room. With a gentle grab, a high-grade spirit stone materialized in his palm. "Heaven's Path Soul Oracle!" Without hesitation, Zhang Xuan immediately activated the Soul Oracle's cultivation technique. In an instant, countless streams of pure spiritual energy surged from the high-grade spirit stone into his entire body, repairing the injured areas. Soul injuries were harder to recover from than physical ones. Even with the Heaven's Path cultivation technique and the high-grade spirit stone, it still took a considerable amount of time. It took a full two hours before his soul body was once again crystal clear and full of power, just as before.

"It seems I'll have to be careful even if I just want to read books in the future!" With his soul body returned, Zhang Xuan reflected on the day's events, filled with helplessness. He had previously fantasized about finishing all the books in the Master Teacher Academy within ten days and then leaving, but now, he realized that was too naive. Since the academy's library had so many restrictions, it certainly wouldn't be easy to enter and exit, even for a Soul Oracle. He was lucky today to have learned the Startling Swan Master profession, which allowed him to persuade the other party. If he hadn't learned it, or if she hadn't bought into it, he would likely have been in real trouble.

"I should continue cultivating my Soul Oracle. Every bit of improvement counts!" He had organized two sets of Heaven's Path Soul Oracle cultivation techniques from the Startling Swan Academy's library. Now that his soul power had recovered, it was time to cultivate. Only with a strong soul could he read books more easily and avoid detection.

"Whew!"

He released his clone. With a mental command, he transferred the two simplified secret manuals to it. The clone's power came from its soul. Without a cultivation technique, it had been stuck in the Spirit Unification realm for a long time without advancing. Now that he had the manuals, they could cultivate together.

Both their Soul Oracles simultaneously left their bodies. Each holding a high-grade spirit stone, Zhang Xuan and his clone circulated their power according to the newly acquired cultivation techniques. Pure spiritual energy coursed through their entire bodies. Their soul's aura gathered like converging rivers, growing stronger and more concentrated.

After an unknown amount of time.

*Boom!*

Their souls vibrated, and both simultaneously broke through, reaching the Bridging Heaven realm. They continued to absorb. Early Bridging Heaven realm! Mid Bridging Heaven realm! Late Bridging Heaven realm... Half an hour later, both the main body and the clone reached the pinnacle of the Bridging Heaven realm simultaneously. Although the clone cultivated a simplified version of the Heaven's Path cultivation technique, its cultivation speed was surprisingly on par with the main body, thanks to the nourishment from the Nine Heavens Lotus Embryo.

*Crack!*

Just as they were about to continue pushing for a higher realm, a crisp sound rang out. The high-grade spirit stones in their hands shattered into powder. Both the main body and the clone were ten-meter-tall soul bodies, requiring an enormous amount of spiritual energy. One high-grade spirit stone was barely enough.

"Continue!"

His expression was solemn. Reaching the Bridging Heaven realm alone had consumed one high-grade spirit stone. The Spirit Unification realm was a higher level, likely requiring even more. Exhaling, he took out the remaining eight spirit stones, giving four to himself and four to the clone.

"Begin!"

Their Soul Oracles left their bodies, and they resumed cultivation. Breaking through to the Spirit Unification realm consumed one high-grade spirit stone. Reaching the mid-Spirit Unification realm consumed a little over one. Soon, all four high-grade spirit stones were used up, and their strength stopped at the late-Spirit Unification realm, not even reaching the pinnacle.

"Isn't this consumption a bit too much?"

Looking down at the scattered fragments on the ground, Zhang Xuan's face was filled with exasperation. All ten high-grade spirit stones he had so painstakingly acquired were gone, and he had only just entered the late-Spirit Unification realm. Such massive consumption just for the Spirit Unification realm! As their levels increased, they would surely need even more. What should he do? He had thought that with ten high-grade spirit stones, he had become wealthy. Who knew... in the blink of an eye, he was poor again!